Floral Translations
by Koukaku
Summary: Naruto is unsure how to properly express his feelings to someone. He asks for advice but his intentions are unknowingly misinterpreted. His actions leave Team Seven confused and with the wrong idea.


**Summery: Naruto is unsure how to properly express his feelings to someone. He asks for advice but his intentions are unknowingly misinterpreted. His actions leave Team Seven confused and with the wrong idea.**

 **Side Notes: Not intentionally yaoi, but you can read it how you want.**

 **Beta'd by _The Many Masked Identities_**

* * *

Naruto and Iruka ate in silence at Ichiraku's. When Naruto had asked him to accompany him to dinner earlier that day Iruka had immediately agreed. They hadn't been able to see each other quite as much recently now that Naruto had been assigned to his genin squad, Team Seven. Iruka had been expecting a loud, detailed description of all of the happenings since they had last seen each other.

However, when he had arrived at Ichiraku he was presented with a quiet, thoughtful Naruto. When he had noticed Iruka's presence, though, he had greeted him with the same enthusiasm that was most commonly associated with him. Reassured, Iruka had just ruffled his hair before settling down on the vacant stool next to his previous student.

They had immediately ordered, with Naruto asking for much more ramen then Iruka could ever hope to consume in a whole day. The consumption of the food they were provided was like any other day, and Iruka was preparing himself for the onslaught of loud words that were sure to come as he watched Naruto finish his last bowl with gusto.

Slamming his bowl down, Naruto turned an assessing stare to Iruka and said nothing for quite a long time. Iruka was beginning to feel rather uncomfortable and shifted slightly under Naruto's gaze.

Coughing awkwardly Iruka decided to beak the uncomfortable stare down, "Was... Was there something you needed, Naruto?"

For a moment nothing happened before Naruto glanced away at the ground quickly before his eyes locked on Iruka again, blazing with determination. "What is the best way to let someone know how I feel about them?" He asked.

Iruka was not expecting that in the least. Surely he was over Sakura by now. Naruto could be a bit dense at times, but it was so obvious that his crush was not recuperated.

"Is this about Sakura? You should really gi-" he was cut off as he tried to explain.

"This isn't about Sakura!" he denied furiously. "Tell me, Iruka-sensei. How do let someone know how I feel about them?"

Taken aback Iruka sat back in his seat a little and examined to boy in front of him. Perhaps he had finally acknowledged Hinata's evident feelings for him. The poor girl had been pining for ages now. Deciding this must be the case he decided that he would help as much as he could.

"Why don't you just tell them?" he asked. That was the easiest way to go about it, after all. And he knew that Hinata would not turn a declaration from Naruto down.

Making a noise of frustration Naruto exclaimed, "I have!" Kicking the table in front of him he elaborated, "I've told them so many time, but I don't think they get it!"

Perhaps Hinata believed that Naruto wasn't serious? Unsure how to proceed he decided to fall back on simple courting methods.

"Have you tried flowers?" he asked.

Naruto gave him a strange look. "Flowers?" he asked, disbelieving.

Iruka nodded, now sure of himself. Flowers could not fail. "Yeah, all flowers have a meaning. I'm sure you can find the perfect message to give to them."

Naruto stared down at his hands, considering. After a moment he looked back up at Iruka and flashed him a brilliant grin. Getting off his stool he hugged Iruka and turned to leave, calling his thanks over his shoulder as he left. Iruka shook his head fondly. He hoped everything worked out. Breaking out of his thoughts he realized that Naruto had left the bill to him.

Damn him.

* * *

Ino yawned, she did not want to be up this early at all. Why did her parents have to own a flower shop? None of her friends had to work, so why did she? Grumbling, she rest her head in the palm of her hand, elbow propped up on the table next to her as she tapped the cash register's buttons in her boredom.

The jingling of the bell above the door sounded accompanied by loud stomping footsteps and the slamming of the door behind the new arrival. Too lazy to acknowledge whoever had burst into her family shop she just crossed her arms on the table and lowered her head into the pillow they created. Who the hell cared about professionalism this early in the morning?

Distractedly she listened to the too loud footsteps wander about the room before tuning them out completely. She was just about to drift off to sleep when a loud crack disturbed her as well as the counter she was resting on vibrating. Jerking her head up in surprise she glared at the person who had dared disturb her.

She was surprised to find herself gazing into determined blue eyes.

"Nar-"

"How do I say 'fuck you' in flowers?"

What? It took her a moment to process what he had said. "Could you repeat that?" she requested, unsure. When he echoed his earlier statement she just nodded, slightly dazed.

"Why..." she trailed off. "You know what? I don't want to know," she decided firmly.

Seeing no use in arguing with him - she didn't have the energy, this must have been how Shikamaru felt all the time, she thought to herself - she walked out from around he desk and, after a moment of thought, started gathering flowers. Naruto trailed after her silently and once she was satisfied with her selection she carried them back to the cash register.

Laying the flowers out on the table Naruto eyed them doubtfully. "How does that mean 'fuck you'?" he asked, looking to her for an explanation.

She sighed. The sooner he was satisfied the sooner he'd leave. Pointing at each flower as she named it Ino elaborated, "Geraniums, stupidity. Foxglove, insincerity. Meadowsweet, uselessness. Yellow carnations, you have disappointed me. Orange lilies, hatred."

After a moment he nodded. Ino tied it into a bouquet and after paying Naruto left, flowers held upside down in his left hand carelessly. Instinctively Ino wished to yell at him over it, but decided that it was much too troublesome. Realizing what she had just thought she cursed herself. She was hanging out with Shikamaru too much. Hopefully Choji's habbits stayed his own. She shuddered at the thought.

* * *

Bored out of her mind Sakura tugged at the grass. That good for nothing Sensei of hers was late. _Again_. He was always late. She filled her thoughts with fantasies of throttling him. Strangling him. Drowning him. Killing him. It didn't matter how, she just wanted him dead. She tugged out a particularly large clump of ground, dirt rained down on her lap and she chucked it away in disgust.

Looking around she noted that Sasuke was leaning against a nearby fence looking as cool and collected at always. For a moment a small bit of dislike nurtured by jealously crawled into her heart. Why couldn't she pull off that level of indifference? How could he just stand there and not look bored? Was he even bored? Why wasn't he reduced to mutilating the ground like she was?

She took a deep breath and repressed those unwanted thoughts. Making an effort to turn her thoughts away from her self-proclaimed 'true love' she realized that her other teammate was absent. She frowned, he was never this late. Contemplating the whereabouts of the missing member of Team Seven she didn't notice the arrival of Kakashi until he called out.

"Yo."

Her head jerked in his direction immediately. " _You,_ " she growled. "You're _late._ "

The insufferable man just shrugged, indifferent. Unconcerned he gazed around the clearing heeding the distinct lack of blond hair and furious blue eyes, much like the green ones that were currently boring into him. One of his cute little genin was missing.

"Where's Naruto?" he asked. His tone conveyed none of his worry for the absent member.

Sakura only shrugged and Sasuke gave a "Hn" that Kakashi took to mean, 'Who gives a shit?'

Just as he was about to settle down to read his Ichi Ichi he noticed that Naruto had just made his way up the hill and was walking towards them with something swinging in his grasp. Upon closer inspection Kakashi was rather taken aback. A bouquet? Curious in his own right, but keeping the façade of detachment, he watched his late student - later than him and that said something - walk towards them with a proud smirk. He left some flower petal in the path behind him from the bouquet, but from what Kakashi could tell it didn't look too bad.

Striding past Kakashi and Sakura, who was too interested in what her more annoying male teammate was up to to chastise him for tardiness, Naruto walked over to where Sasuke was leaning casually against the fence. Sasuke had not looked up when Naruto had appeared and was not ready for a bouquet to be thrust into his face. Batting them away he glared at Naruto.

Taking pleasure in Sasuke's annoyance, Naruto laughed. "Here, take them," he told Sasuke mockingly. Grabbing his wrist he forced the brooding teen to hold them. Naruto backed away, his smile widening at the sight.

"What is this?" Sasuke ground out. He wanted answers, and he wanted them now.

"This," Naruto explained, gesturing to the bouquet that the Uchiha was still gripping for some reason. "This is how I feel about you." And with that he turned his back on him and walked onto the training ground to begin warming up.

Sakura stared dumbfounded at Naruto's back as he walked away. "I... I had no idea..." she trailed off. Did that actually just happen? She wasn't completely sure. But sure enough, when she looked back at the frozen Sasuke he still had a bouquet clutched in his had.

Kakashi wasn't sure how to react for a moment. Deciding to fall back on something he was good at he announced to his two remaining genin, "Well? Don't just stand there. Go train. Shoo."

That seemed to snap Sakura out of it, and after a moment she hesitantly walked after Naruto with only one last look back at Sasuke. When Sasuke didn't move to follow Kakashi leaned down next to him and added, "If you'd like, you can go back home and put those in a vase first."

With a savage growl the Uchiha swung the bouquet at Kakashi's head. Kakashi dodged with a smile that no one else could see. Flower petals coated the ground harmlessly. Sasuke chucked what was left of the bouquet at the ground and stormed after his teammates.

Ah, he thought. His genin really were so cute.

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 **Reviews are appreciated.**


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